For this graphics activity I chose to create a collage. This was something I would like to do with personal photos, so wanted to learn more about doing so using Adobe Photoshop Elements 10. I began the trial of this graphics program for the last activity and have so much to learn.
mmurphyga2edit.jpg
I began by accessing images on Flickr. I chose seashells as a search topic because I am missing the beach a little lately and had wanted to create something I could hang in my office at work to make me feel at home. Once I found a photo I wanted to use, I selected the image in size medium (500), then saved to my computer - via the Elements 10 program. This part was fairly easy, and I remember using Flickr to find images before. I only had an issue when I ran into a couple of images I liked, but all rights were reserved and I was unable to save/use them.
I then opened the Photoshop Elements program. On a panel to the right I clicked the create tab, which provided a list of projects. I selected Photo Collage to create. I was still unsure what to do from there, so I accessed a "how to guide". Unfortunately, this guide was not helpful as it was more for taking scenes from a line of photos and layering them to create one...not what I had in mind for this project, but definitely a great guide to be used later. So, I continued by trial and error. It took me some time in order to figure out how to create the collage on my own. The program made my computer run pretty slowly. As I was saving screen shots in Word for each step, I was worried my computer was going to freeze up. Both Mozilla Firefox and Word were not responding. I am not positive if running the Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 did this, but I did notice that it helped to have as few things running as possible when using the program. I also explored and clicked on tools and tabs while working, but for this project many of the tools were not helpful - or even able to be accessed (this could be a safety feature so you do not use a tool that would mess up your project?).
Untitled.png
Once I got going... I selected a size of 8.5 x 11 inches, then clicked ok. I was then given a project in the center of the screen, with a side menu for further options - tabs for page, layout, artwork, and text. I began by clicking the layout tab that showed different ways to arrange photos and selected one for organizing 4 photos. The artwork tab allowed me to choose a background - for which I used handmade paper - I felt like it gave the illusion of sand. I chose not to add any text to the collage.
Untitled2.png
To add photos in the project, you simply click one of the photo squares in your project. A screen comes up for you to choose a file with the photo. Once it is added, you can re-size using your mouse, and even click and drag the photo square where you would like it. Easy and straight forward I thought. I continued to do these steps until I had all four photos included in the collage. I sat and played with arrangement for a bit - then was ready to save.
Untitled3.png
Last week, being sure that the file was the correct size gave me trouble. This week was the same, but I think this time I have discovered a way I understand. I initially went to Save File As...then when I was ready to post my work realized that the file was much too large! So, in the Photoshop Elements 10 program, I found that Save as Web, gave me the option to change the image sizes. Originally my image size was 1870x2420 when it needed to be 360x500, and 437KB when it needed to be 100K or less. I changed it to JPEG file, then changed the image sizes and re-saved. The file is now within correct size limits!
Untitled4.png
Overall I think that the Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 is a good graphics program, and I enjoy using it. There are still so many things I have no idea how to operate in the program, but it is user friendly enough for me to have been able to create what I needed/wanted. There is so much to it that I may just have to plug along and figure things out as I need them.
For this graphics activity I chose to create a collage. This was something I would like to do with personal photos, so wanted to learn more about doing so using Adobe Photoshop Elements 10. I began the trial of this graphics program for the last activity and have so much to learn.
I began by accessing images on Flickr. I chose seashells as a search topic because I am missing the beach a little lately and had wanted to create something I could hang in my office at work to make me feel at home. Once I found a photo I wanted to use, I selected the image in size medium (500), then saved to my computer - via the Elements 10 program. This part was fairly easy, and I remember using Flickr to find images before. I only had an issue when I ran into a couple of images I liked, but all rights were reserved and I was unable to save/use them.
Links are provided below for photo sources, all photos accessed via Flickr:
Seashell 1 http://www.flickr.com/photos/caffeinehit/186362786/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Seashell 2 http://www.flickr.com/photos/blueridgekitties/4426340538/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Seashell 3 http://www.flickr.com/photos/goulash/218869980/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Seashell 4 http://www.flickr.com/photos/lentina_x/3728028764/sizes/m/in/photostream/
I then opened the Photoshop Elements program. On a panel to the right I clicked the create tab, which provided a list of projects. I selected Photo Collage to create. I was still unsure what to do from there, so I accessed a "how to guide". Unfortunately, this guide was not helpful as it was more for taking scenes from a line of photos and layering them to create one...not what I had in mind for this project, but definitely a great guide to be used later. So, I continued by trial and error. It took me some time in order to figure out how to create the collage on my own. The program made my computer run pretty slowly. As I was saving screen shots in Word for each step, I was worried my computer was going to freeze up. Both Mozilla Firefox and Word were not responding. I am not positive if running the Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 did this, but I did notice that it helped to have as few things running as possible when using the program. I also explored and clicked on tools and tabs while working, but for this project many of the tools were not helpful - or even able to be accessed (this could be a safety feature so you do not use a tool that would mess up your project?).
Once I got going...
I selected a size of 8.5 x 11 inches, then clicked ok. I was then given a project in the center of the screen, with a side menu for further options - tabs for page, layout, artwork, and text. I began by clicking the layout tab that showed different ways to arrange photos and selected one for organizing 4 photos. The artwork tab allowed me to choose a background - for which I used handmade paper - I felt like it gave the illusion of sand. I chose not to add any text to the collage.
To add photos in the project, you simply click one of the photo squares in your project. A screen comes up for you to choose a file with the photo. Once it is added, you can re-size using your mouse, and even click and drag the photo square where you would like it. Easy and straight forward I thought. I continued to do these steps until I had all four photos included in the collage. I sat and played with arrangement for a bit - then was ready to save.
Last week, being sure that the file was the correct size gave me trouble. This week was the same, but I think this time I have discovered a way I understand. I initially went to Save File As...then when I was ready to post my work realized that the file was much too large! So, in the Photoshop Elements 10 program, I found that Save as Web, gave me the option to change the image sizes. Originally my image size was 1870x2420 when it needed to be 360x500, and 437KB when it needed to be 100K or less. I changed it to JPEG file, then changed the image sizes and re-saved. The file is now within correct size limits!
Overall I think that the Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 is a good graphics program, and I enjoy using it. There are still so many things I have no idea how to operate in the program, but it is user friendly enough for me to have been able to create what I needed/wanted. There is so much to it that I may just have to plug along and figure things out as I need them.